Lost White City Rediscovered

Fabled city of riches spotted by plane

Researchers claim to have discovered the lost city of la Ciudad Blanca, described by Hernan Cortez to King Charvles V. In their reports, Cortez and others described a fabled city filled with riches of gold.

Until now, the reports have gone unverified. But Archeologists and documentary filmmakers Steven Elkins and Bill Benenson believe they've found traces of the ruins in jungles of Honduras.

Using low flying airplanes equipped with lasers, the team mapped 60 square miles of the Mosquitia region and sent the data off to the University of Houston for analysis. Engineers there report signs of canals, roads, and building foundations consistent with a large metropolis.

"It was kind of surprising how easy it was to find them," University of Houston engineer Bill Carter told The New Yorker.

The team plans to study the ruins from the ground later this year while working on a documentary.

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German Climber Dies on Shishapangma

Leader gets frostbit during rescue

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A German climber died on Shishapangma in Tibet after developing severe altitude sickness on the descent. The unidentified climber from Bavaria had reached the 8,013-meter summit of the mountain with a six-person team from Amical alpin when he began showing signs of high-altitude pulmonary edema, and, later, high-altitude cerebral edema. Despite his team's efforts to treat him and move him to a lower altitude, the climber passed away at 7,500 meters, according to ExplorersWeb.

Expedition leader Thomas Laemmle, who headed up the rescue, suffered frostbite on his toes in the attempt, and said he would scrap plans to climb Everest this season.

American climber Alex Lowe died on Shishapangma in 1999 in a massive avalanche.

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Photo: Courtest of Wikimedia Commons

Dog Saves Canada Man in Bear Attack

Rescued by two passing campers

A Canadian man is recovering in an Ontario hospital after a harrowing bear attack that left his dog dead and most of his skull exposed to the public. Joe Azougar, 30, was relaxing at his remote cabin, about 10 kilometers south of Cochrane, when a bear emerged from the woods and attempted to eat him.

In an act of unparalleled canine bravery, Azougar’s dog engaged the onrushing bear in combat, allowing his owner to flee to the safety of the cabin. However, the nightmare was far from over as the cabin proved to be insufficient protection from the overwhelming power of the bear:

Moments later, the bear, having killed the dog, was back at the cabin.

"He started rushing the window, breaking the window and chipping off wood beside the window," said Azougar.

"He made it through (the window) and I ran out," he said. The bear followed him out.

"After about 30 metres, he took me to the ground." Azougar said the animal slammed him down with its front paws and began clawing and biting.

"He knocked me down and I covered my head. He took my shoulder apart, then he peeled the skin off my head and started biting my skull," Azougar remembered. “I could feel his teeth rubbing against my skull. That was the worst feeling ever. I jammed my thumb into his eye and so he went back to my shoulder."

Fortunately, two nearby campers heard Azougar’s screams from their car and hurried to the scene in their vehicle, where they were able to scare off the bear with their car horn. The two women drove Azougar to a nearby hospital where he received over 300 stitches.

Ontario Provincial Police and the Ministry of Natural Resources later confirmed that the bear was hunted down and killed.

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Photo: Taras Vyshnya via Shutterstock

Children Lose Parents in Snorkeling Accident

Parents drowned off Western Australian coast

A 13-year-old boy was the first to spot his parents floating facedown near Australia’s Ningaloo Reef yesterday, after a snorkeling accident that is feared to have left him and his 10-year-old sister orphaned. Beachgoers failed to resuscitate their mother after her body washed ashore, and their father remains missing at sea.

Kathreen Ricketson, 41, and Robert Shrugg, 48, left their children on the beach while they snorkeled the waters off Elle’s Beach. The cause of their deaths is still unknown, though an inspector says there is no evidence of a shark attack or suspicious circumstances.

The family had been on a yearlong roadtrip around Australia. Ricketson had been chronicling their journey on her blog, and planned to turn it into a book. Now, the children are in Perth with family members while officials continue to search for their father.